Better Bull-eavit: Canes nab Forston

Earlier today around 5:30 p.m. I spoke with the mother of Northwestern defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who told me she had driven down with her son to the University of Miami campus where he announced his intentions to sign with the Hurricanes in February. This certainly is big news for Canes fans. Forston is without a doubt one of the nation's best overall recruits and quite possibly the most talented defensive tackle the school has landed since Warren Sapp. I spoke to Marcus earlier this week, thinking this might happen. But he told me he wanted to wait to make a bigger national announcement on TV. Looks like he got too excited.

For a moment today it also looked like another teammate of Forston would be joining him at UM. And at around 7:30 p.m. I reported on this blog linebacker Sean Spence would be joining Forston. But I've now been told Northwestern's star linebacker is not ready to announce his decision just yet. But he could be real close. Kids like Spece do this all the time. They want their own day in the sun and deserve it. Just don't be surprised if he announces in the next couple days.

Now, here's some of the highlights from the 20 minute interview I had with Marcus when he got home from his conditioning workouts at Northwestern on Thursday night.

Q: Tell us how it all went down this afternoon?A: "I went down there earlier today, I was going down there just to check out the college academic-wise. I went down there with my mon and my family. When I went down there, I was talking to coach Hurtt, coach Walton and Randy Shannon and when I walked into that room, walked through that door there was just that feeling that this is home. I told you earlier I was going to wait till signing day because I had a lot of schools looking at me. But I never felt like that when I went to other colleges. Even though it doesn't have the big facilities other colleges have. So, when I went in there, they weren't even talking about football. They were talking to me about how they could help me about football. They were talking about how they could help me get a degree, they were talking about life. And that is something some colleges don't talk about. Colleges want to use me and I want use them to get a degree and be a better man because football is never promised."

Q: So how much of an influence did your teammates who are also Cane commitments -- QB Jacory Harris, OL Brandon Washington and WR Aldarius Johnson -- have in your decision today. Were they in your ear telling you to commit?A: "No. I was pushing those guys away. But Aldarius told me when you go down there, I'm telling you, you aren't ready for it. He said Forston as soon as you get down there, you are going to want to commit right there. So, when I got down there, I said coach, is this something you set up down here just to make me feel good? Coach Shannon and Coach Hurtt said you can come down here any day unnanounced and it will be the same way. Some colleges put on a show because they want to make their program look better. So, when he told me I could come down here and it will be the same way everyday, I was like man, I got to check this out for myself. The thing that made me feel so good was that it its a college that doesn't have all the facilities and all the other things state schools have, but they're a private school and they're rebuilding things. I'm looking at the new generation and the things they want to have."

Q: You talked the other day about how you don't want to be the only superstar on a team, you want to play with 11 superstars. Can you talk about what it feels like to be a part of class like the one that is starting to come together? And can you talk about some of the guys who you play with?A: "I'm very proud to be a part of this class. If we keep on getting these guys, like we're doing right now, this will be one of the best UM teams ever. There are a lot of hard workers in this group there that can really build this program and do some special things right there. Its hard to stop our guys. If you going up against Brandon Washington at 60-70 percent, Brandon Washington is going to throw you on your butt. Or if you don't pay attention to Aldarius Johnson, he's going to right past you. So you got to give 100 percent to even have a chance."

Q: What is about coach Clint Hurtt that makes him such a good recruiter?A: "He's young man. The guy who likes to have fun. The thing that really got me about coach Hurtt and I know he's been through the same things I've been through, he told me he said 'Go ahead, Marcus. Go ahead and look at other colleges.' And the first thing that came to my mind was that this guy right here is not jealous. He's a coach that knows if a player wants to come to his program, he really wants to come. Every other coach would have said 'What you going there for?' Talking bad. One thing I can say UM doesn't do is say nothing about no college. Any college that something bad about another college, that right there is a turnoff to me."

Q: So are you going to be taking other trips still? What did you tell coach?A: "I told him I'd be open to taking other trips. But I don't think I want to. I think I'm going to try and study and watch film for the next level. I'm trying to get to college, get better."

Q: So what can Canes fact expect from you in the future?A: "A battle at defensive tackle. Out of the heart and soul of Miami comes a guy whose going to bust his butt everyday in practice and start as a true freshman."

For the complete 11-minute audio interview I recorded with Marcus, check out my interview with him right here.

OK guys, I'm done posting stuff for today.I'm still planning to interview Canes quarterback recruit Jacory Harris, who shined brightly at the Elite 11 camp in California, when he gets home later tonight. He finished 4th out of the 11 QBs and apparently impressed a lot people. I'll probably make him my topic of discussion on Friday.